Name: Kolamba’s parippu (lentil curry)
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 2 or 4 as a side
Cuisine: Sri lankan
Ingredients: 150g masoor dahl (red split lentils); 1 tsp vegetable oil; ½ tsp black mustard seeds; ½ small red onion; 6-8 curry leaves fresh, frozen or dried; ½ tsp hot chilli powder; 1 tsp (or you can use 1 tsp ground coriander powder and ½ tsp ground cumin) Sri Lankan curry powder; ¼ tsp ground turmeric; 5cm cinnamon stick; 125ml coconut milk; fried onions, fried garlic, fried curry leaves and fried chillies to garnish

A white bowl filled with a golden-coloured curry and white fluffy rice, scattered with coriander on a grey stone background

150g masoor dahl (red split lentils)
1 tsp vegetable oil
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ small red onion
6-8 curry leaves
fresh, frozen or dried
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp (or you can use 1 tsp ground coriander powder and ½ tsp ground cumin) Sri Lankan curry powder
¼ tsp ground turmeric
5cm cinnamon stick
125ml coconut milk
fried onions, fried garlic, fried curry leaves and fried chillies
to garnish

Method

step 1
Wash the lentils. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and, when it’s hot, add the mustard seeds and let them start to pop. Add the onion and curry leaves, and mix in. Add the chilli powder, curry powder and turmeric, stir and cook for 5-10 seconds. Add the cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt. Mix to coat with the spices. Cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant.
step 2
Add the drained lentils to the pan with 250ml of water, partially cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and ¾ tsp of fine sea salt, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
step 3
Finish the lentils with fried onions, garlic, curry leaves and chillies, if you like.